rogerclee

You are in balancing seat.

2♠ is reasonable. I'd just bid 3♥. 4♥ is okay.

If you're going to include silly options, you might as well choose the silliest option, 2♠. At these colors, I am too tempted to just bid 4♥.

Nightmare. I think 2NT is best, but I hate it. It seems like we probably need a simulation to settle this.

I'll make forcing heart bids and will reach 7♥ if I get a heart raise, 7NT if I don't (will bid 7♥ if partner keeps bidding diamonds and spades too). In the play, say partner has a stiff heart and ♣Axx. I'll cash ♥AK very quickly, and then shift to the ♣J at lightning speed to read the tempo.

5♥, 4-5♦, debatable as to whether or not a hand with 5-4 should show extras. I thought yes, but have now persuaded myself maybe not. (This is assuming 2♥ is a 100% GF. If it is not, then 3♦ can be bid on lots of hands that just have hearts and need to force.)

I think this is a 6♥ too, but in general, nobody really knows what to do with a 9-card suit. How many people do you know can say, "well, in my vast experience with picking up 9-card suits..."

I play NF Constructive at the 2-level (after partner overcalls at the 1-level), forcing in all other situations. Would also play 2NT here as some form of Lebensohl.

What kind of hand would bid this way? (1♠ then 3♣) 1♠-(Dbl)-Rdbl-(P) 3♣ Values, distribution, or both?

I think you are losing a lot if you choose to make x here "primarily takeout." I play that all doubles of 4-level preempts are primarily card-showing; whether this is a good idea over 4♣/4♦/4♥ is debatable, but over 4♠, it seems clear.

Agree :) .

Hmm, changed my mind again. Back to just passing, 5♦ if desperate at IMPs as a punt, 6♣ also okay.

I understand the concept of "getting in" at MPs with all white, but I still disagree that doubling on hands like the first is a winning strategy (opposite a PH). For one, the hand is just not very good, and it is weak in the suit that partner is most likely to compete in, hearts. Wouldn't it be nice to know that when partner doubles 1S, he has a good hand? Two, if LHO redoubles, I'm going to be sick. At the very least, we have given LHO the opportunity to show a 3-card LR at the 2-level. In general, when I make a takeout double, I give LHO more options. Three, I can still balance over 2S. I agree this is not as ideal, but we can still compete by passing the first time, and at least this way, partner doesn't go crazy. If they're willing to bid up to the three-level, then we probably weren't stealing anything anyway. I agree that this has a big minus of getting partner's input at the 3-level, not the 2-level. Four, this allows declarer to play the hand better by volunteering information, both from me and from my partner if he chooses to compete. I understand the plusses (competing early, trying to steal a partscore, might even make game opposite a good fit), but I'm just saying I think the minuses outweigh them.

Only the second, I think this is clear.

4♠ is too creative for me. With Hx in spades, I would consider it much, much more seriously, but I would still pass.

Pass. Bidding could turn out well here, but when it doesn't, it is likely to be a double-digit IMP swing. Plus I would like partner to not always expect such trash from me.

I'd open 1♣. Don't think this is clear, but my style is to open a suit with 5-4, and the values here aren't enough to convince me to deviate from that.

Pass. This is very far from an invite.

Double.

1N is clear on one. 2♥ is clear to me on number two, but 1NT is a distant second choice for me. 2D on the second hand is a really good way to play a 5-1 fit.

MPs, w/w ♠Qx ♥KQ5432 ♦xxx ♣xx (1NT)-?

This should be clear, I think, but just checking. What is 4C in this auction? 1NT* - (2D) - 3D** - (P) 3S - (P) - 4C(?) * 1NT = 15-17 ** 3D = Stayman, GF, no ♦ stop

Edit: Actually, it's okay. GIB made an error, but thinking about it more, it seems more logical than it did at the table (which seemed ridiculous).

I use both LyX and TeXnicCenter and like them both. LyX is good for easy stuff, but it is very unintelligent at 1) Doing custom things. 2) Importing custom things. TeXnicCenter is handy. Haven't used SW; is it better than LyX?

I meant that I don't always catch KQJx of spades in LHO's hand. I agree that on this deal, you were very, very likely going to get nailed in 2♠.